Croix Bethune set to join the 2025 NWSL Shield winners ahead of the 2026 season


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Just when you think the NWSL preseason is settling ahead of the new calendar year, the big moves keep coming. Kansas City Current have acquired midfielder Croix Bethune from Washington Spirit, sources tell CBS Sports. Washington Spirit are set to receive a record-matching fee for Bethune. The deal is finalized though not set to be announced until a later date.

North Carolina Courage currently holds the record for intraleague funds ($1.25 million) after trading Jaedyn Shaw to Gotham FC last year.

Bethune is coming off a successful two-year stint with the Washington Spirit, where she won the 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year. In her first pro season, she tied Tobin Heath's decade-old single-season assist record in just 17 games thanks to a season-ending torn meniscus. She also won the league's inaugural NWSL Midfielder of the Year award. Her impressive rookie season earned her a place on the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. women's national team, and she's recorded seven caps so far.

Sources also confirmed that the player requested the trade, and her former club worked to complete the deal. Bethune received interest from other teams, though now she'll be joining the league's reigning NWSL Shield winners.

She often showcases her vision with short, elegant passes and is a certified playmaker. Her move to Kansas City is a welcome arrival following the departure of recent playmaker and goal scorer Bia Zaneratto. The Brazilian international left the club after her contract expired and returned to Palmeiras in free agency.

Bethune's rise to prominence was anything but easy. The player has had to bounce back from a torn meniscus that cut her NWSL rookie season short. In college, the player tore her ACL twice, but was drafted into the NWSL after earning two-time first-team All-American and Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year honors with a career that saw her start at Southern California and finish at Georgia.

She's shown she can bounce back and contribute and now joins Kansas City after her recent camps with the U.S. women's national team and a short preseason stint with the Spirit.

Washington Spirit make it official
Following CBS Sports' reporting that Bethune's movement came by way of request, the Spirit announced Bethune's departure on Wednesday. Bethune's move to Kansas City yielded a club-record $100k in allocation funds and $900k in transfer threshold funds, the third-largest return in NWSL history.

"We are grateful to Croix for her contributions over the past two seasons. After conversations about her desire to explore development opportunities in a different environment, we were able to structure a deal that honored her request while securing significant value for our club, making it the third-highest intra-league transfer in NWSL history and a top ten mark globally," said club president of soccer operations Haley Carter.

"We evaluate every situation on its individual merits, and in this case, the alignment of player goals and organizational value made sense for all parties. That said, our focus is on the talented core we have returning. We're heading into 2026 healthy, deep, and ready to win."

Claire Hutton moves on from Kansas City Current
Kansas City Current also traded midfielder Claire Hutton to Bay FC on Wednesday. The Midwest club received $1.1 million in intraleague transfer funds for the 2025 NWSL Best XI honoree, who is also a member of the USWNT.

"Claire is an important signing for us. She's a top-quality player who is tight on the ball, and she has the mobility and physical presence to break up play," said Bay FC head coach Emma Coates.

"Despite her age she brings experience and a strong mentality, and we believe she has the potential to become one of the best midfielders in the world. The most exciting part for us is her desire to keep getting better, and we're excited to support her through the next stages of her career and even more excited to see the impact she will have at Bay FC."

The 20-year-old Hutton was a 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year finalist and leaves Kansas City Current as a rising star in the NWSL and U.S. women's national team. Hutton signed her first professional contract in 2024 at 17 years old with Kansas City, the sixth player signed under the league's Under-18 Entry Mechanism, and she has since become a regular club starter with a bright future for her new club and her country.

She has 13 appearances for the USWNT since her debut in 2025, and recently, head coach Emma Hayes discussed a leadership role with the midfielder, who is the youngest player to captain the national team in the Hayes era.

When could they make official debuts?
The Kansas City Current open up their season hosting the Utah Royals at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 14, while Bay FC host expansion side Denver Summit the same day with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. ET.

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